Seven Years
by ifyourebored
Summary: Story about the love and complications that happen between Jacob and Renesemee.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The god-like Stephenie Meyer owns these characters. This was written out of fun. **

Chapter 1 – Preparations

My eyes squinted as I awoke from a heavy sleep to the sun that was beating down on the bare back of Jacob. I leaned over to close the blinds and was suddenly attacked and thrown onto my back. I giggled once and tossed a glare at him.

"Nessie." He murmured.

I still couldn't get over the way he said my name, or for that matter, the way he stared into my eyes. I was a prize to him, something that he would treasure for the rest of eternity.

"Yes, my love?" I answered, though knowing what he would say.

"Can't we stay in bed all day?" He anxiously swirled his fingertips across my smooth skin. There was too much contrast in the color of our skin. I looked sickening white against his russet, beautiful, and flawless surface.

Of course I would want to stay in bed all day with him. He's the only person that I cared to see, but I knew that my mother, Bella would come looking for me. I thought it might be better to make an appearance for our routine hunting trip.

"Mmm." I stretched out on the bed and we intertwined our bodies to get as close as possible. "You know I'd love nothing more."

He quickly kissed the point of my nose and grinned. I snuggled my head into his collarbone and stole small kisses across the top of his chest.

"You do realize that when you object to my idea, kissing me like this is making me want to hold you hostage longer, right?" He took my head in his huge warm hands and smiled while looking me up and down with his admiring eyes.

"Alright, enough with this. Let's go. You know Edw – my dad would love nothing more than to have an excuse to wrestle you to the ground for keeping me locked up." I teased as he started to hoist me out of the warm bed.

He carried me to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As he traced the curves of my body, from my jaw line to the curve of my outer thigh, where my hand hung, he braided our fingers together and lifted our hands to kiss my diamond ring. It had all been to perfect; the wedding, I mean. It was just so symbolic and meaningful. I had always belonged to Jacob, but it was final. I would never have to call him my boyfriend or fiancée again. He was my adoring and clever husband.

*****

"Do you think you're ready?" I could feel my father's cold breath in my ear as I shuddered.

"I know I'm ready, Dad." I squeezed my hand in his.

It was the day that my father would walk me proudly down the aisle. I could tell that he was nervous and his topaz eyes were darting around the room and making assessments about every little thing. I knew that he loved Jacob for everything that he'd done for our small and talented family. I was his baby and he was giving his protection to someone else. That was hard for him because protector was his middle name.

"You look gorgeous, Renesmee." Bella, my mother, had come up the stairs with blue hair combs in her hand. "These are being passed down." She looked up at my father with the most lost intensified eyes I've ever seen.

"Thank you so much, mom." I spun around for her to pin them in my hair. "I want to talk to you, just for a second."

Edward left the room and my mother motioned me to sit down on the leather couch. She put her cold hands in mine and waited for me to proceed.

"Were you always so sure?" I asked innocently.

She sighed and put her arm around me. "Edward and I have the most amazing love in the world. I've never wanted anything but to be with him. I know you are probably looking for me to tell you that I was doubting and then he did something to make me know it was right, but I can't tell you one time where I didn't picture myself hand in hand with him for the rest of our existence.

"Look, the basic question is, Could love anyone else the way you love Jacob?" Her hold tightened.

I looked at her with the most sincere eyes, "No. I love him more than anyone. I feel more for him than I ever thought possible. Not even the depths and masses of the ocean can put my love for him into perspective."

"Well, are you ready to walk down the aisle then?" She started to get up and I pulled her back down.

"How do I know he feels the same way?" I pleaded with my eyes, searching for something to comfort me.

"He does. You think I would let you marry someone that didn't? I have faith that you two will forever love each other. The nerves are just getting to you, honey."

I got to my feet, reassured and pressed forward to the door. I passed a mirror. My curly bronze hair bounced into my chocolate eyes as I stopped to examine myself. My cheeks flushed as I study my gown. It was perfect for me; of course, Alice had her way of picking out the goods. It was full lace and hugged my hips just right. The small train was the best part, attached with an oversized soft blue bow. My hair was swept right above my collarbone and the lace started a few inches below without the need of straps.

Edward was back into the room, obviously he heard us moving around, and came to my side. He turned me to face him and gave me a hard kiss on the forehead.

"You look beautiful, Renesmee." I could tell if he could cry, he'd be a mess. He pulled my vintage veil up above and over my head delicately and paused to stare at my face and then the veil slid down so I could hide my face. I smiled and latched onto his arm as we headed for the stairs.

My mother fled past us with her blue flowing dress blowing from the speed. We headed for the door, no more than a normal human speed. The music had started outside, near the waterfront. Edward nodded us forward and I saw everyone rise up in their seats. Everyone was there, Charlie, Billy, the pack, my loving family, and even the Amazon Coven. Zafrina had been a constant part of my life, and her crazy hair blew in the wind as she smiled at me.

My eyes darted to the rose covered alter, where my love stood. His head was down as if he were praying, and finally took a deep breath and slowly rose his head. His eyes widened as he saw me approaching and gasped. I laughed and smiled as I took my first step onto the red velvet carpet that led me to him. All I could see was him. Nothing else mattered to me and I couldn't walk fast enough toward him.

Edward kept me locked in with him so I wouldn't make a fool of myself. He knew I wanted to run down the aisle and I could feel his body shake at my thought. I glanced next to Jacob at the giggly Embry and then my eyes darted over to the opposite to see Rosalie's eyes sparkling at me. She was full of joy. Her long pink gown hugged her in ways I never thought could make anyone look good. How was I supposed to stand next to her? She had the most beautiful features anyone had ever seen.

Edward nudged me and whispered, "You know you are flawless. You did afterall come from your mother."

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Old Quill boomed and turned toward Edward.

"Her mother and I." He glanced back at Bella who was shaking with happiness. Edward lifted the veil over my face and kissed my cheek, and then turned toward Jacob to shake his hand.

The ceremony was short and sweet.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Jacob practically leaped toward me and crushed his lips onto mine as the crowd stood and hooted and hollered at us. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks and I locked my hands around his warm neck. I couldn't get over the feeling.

Here we were, standing in black and white kissing at the alter. I have no idea why I ever thought it was okay for me to get cold feet. This is the one thing that was ever certain in my life, the only thing that was set in stone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black." Old Quil roared with excitement as he motioned his hand for us to jump down the step and head toward the house.

We half ran, hand and hand, and at the end of the red carpet he swooped me up into his arms and carried me the rest of the way, not breaking our kiss.

*****

"Want to join me, Mrs. Black." He motioned our hands to the already steaming shower.

I, of course, was in favor of doing anything that involved the heat of his bare body touching mine. It wasn't like I'd never seen him naked, because he had phased in front of me plenty of times. It was just the first time where things were official. Everything was great. Edward and Bella lived peacefully in their beautiful cottage, and Jacob and I were in their old room at the Cullens. We were building a little home of our own just a couple miles from here. From time to time, Jacob would squish his nose up from the smell the house gave off. I mostly laughed it off, but sometimes he'd get a good slug. I knew he couldn't wait for the construction to be done.

Growing up with Alice as an aunt wasn't always the easiest. I could see the scornful looks if I ever came dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She would mumble something about how I took after my mother's side. Most days I would ignore it and leave what I had on, Jacob would just take it off later anyways. Today, I wanted to look a little presentable considering that I was a married woman now, and I wanted more than anything to play the part.

We slid down the staircase and he yelped as I plummeted on top of him. I tensed up and jumped off of him. Right before I was about to take off to the nearest door, he grabbed my shirt and hurled me on top of him. I crashed down and grabbed a kiss before I scrambled up again. We were always playing, and always competing. My mother told me that it has been like that since we were little. Although, she knows that I remember everything from my childhood, she likes to retell the stories and laugh at the thoughts.

I used my gift as little as possible. Jacob was always thrilled when I decided to give him my insight of the day with the touch of my fingertips, but I knew that if I overused it, he would scold me for not letting my voice be heard. After all, when I decided I wouldn't use it, it put me into a sort of balance with him. My speed was almost in proportion of how he could change into a different species in half a second.

"Hello Mother, father." I grinned at them and threw my hands around Bella's neck. She squeezed as hard as she could and then put me back on the ground. Edward casually strolled over to me and put his arm around my shoulder.

"How does it feel, Mrs. Black?" He asked, even though he knew. "You're no longer a Cullen."

"Dad, I will always be a Cullen." I shook my head. Everything was so new and fresh. I wanted the butterflies and pumping heart to never go away when I heard someone call me by _his_ last name.

"Jacob, are you going hunting with us today?" Bella asked. She pulled her chocolate brown hair into a spiraled bun. I stared at her perfection, her pointed chin, and full lips were in the right proportion to her now black eyes. The same bracelet with two amazing charms always occupied her left wrist, one of a werewolf, _my husband_, and one that was a diamond heart, my amazing father.

I knew that there had been something that went on between my mother and Jacob. They had told me stories of their childhood, the human years, as they liked to put it. They were easy, and at the time, my mother had been sewn together by the love Jacob had shown for her. The thought of them together once came off as weird and unavoidable, but then I remembered that if it weren't for him sticking around my mother like that, he would have never laid eyes on me, therefore, his imprinting would never have been a possibility. And where would that have gotten me? Jacob and Bella's friendship was easy, and I thought she'd have trouble with the fact her best friend was marrying her daughter. She seemed at ease when Jacob had asked for my hand in marriage. Although, it was probably because Alice had warned her what was coming.

"We need to head out. I still have to come back and start the oven for the party tonight." I said as I cupped my hand against Jacob's neck. "How many did you say were actually coming?"

"The whole pack is coming, including my father, and your grandfather." He looked at me with sorry eyes. "You know I'll help you with the food. It'll take hours if I don't."

I touched my hand to my face and let him into my vision of us running. "I don't think we do slow, Jake."

He laughed, "Right then. Let's go!" He pulled me forward and we leapt over the river. My senses took control and I crouched and then darted for the nearest clearing of the forest, toward the west.

"Mmmm… elk. My favorite." I rolled my eyes and Jacob patted my back.

"Good enough. I'm still tired from last night to keep looking." I could see him smiling at me in the corner of my eyes.

I wouldn't ever forget last night. His gentle touch, the shape our bodies took in the middle of the bed. I was slapped out of my daydream.

"Seriously? Keep your thoughts to yourself for the time being." Edward looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Not my fault you've got a messed up head." He heard me snicker under my breath and then took off after the elk.

Elk were too easy. I know that tomorrow we'd go off to find something more fun to hunt, but for the time restraint that the day put on us, we'd have to make do. I never liked seeing animals struggle as I hovered over them, so I always ended things soon.

"Quenched?" I looked up to see Jacob standing above me and his hair blew in the wind.

"Parched actually," and I took another big gulp and smiled up at him. I rose to the balls of my feet and kissed him.

"Mmm… elk blood. Ha!" He tossed me over my shoulder as I gasped, and headed toward the house. My body was fully bent over as he wrapped his arm around my calves, and I begged him to put me down. Of course, he didn't listen.

"You're annoying!" I threw a slight tantrum while beating his back with my fists until he put me on the ground. "Thanks, baby."

We headed toward the house and I could see Alice chuckling at herself while she waved the spatula above her head. "We better get started, Nessie, your friends will be here in a couple hours. Do you even know how much money I spent at the grocery store today?" Her voice chimed high and I sped up.

"Thank you, Alice! You know I would of gone to the store. I don't want you to have to go out of the way for a pack of werewolves." I shoved my elbow into Jake's gut.

"Hey! You're the one that wanted them over!" He complained as he rubbed his stomach. "You know what I wanted to do tonight."

"Sure, sure." I took the cooking utensil and stepped into the open space of the white house.

"Okay, so I was thinking we could make a variety. I know they like to eat a lot so why not make some fun out of what we've got?" Esme had taken her place in the kitchen and held up an apron.

She tied it around my waste and pecked me on the cheek. "Okay, Mrs. Black, ready?" She turned on the TV and flipped to Emeril and we started to prepare the feast.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Party

Alice hurried me to the closet and dressed me in some kind of bohemian purple top and spun me around. "Perfect." She smiled and looked me up and down. "You're lucky."

"I am?" I eyed her curiously. Standing next to her, how could she ever say I was the lucky one?

"You're beautiful. I mean you come from the flawless Edward and perfect Bella. And you have chocolate eyes. You hair just flows onto your back. I don't think you realize how gorgeous you are." Alice always had the right words to say.

Tears swelled up in my eyes and I flung my arms around her neck. She hugged me back and kissed my cheek. "Okay, they'll be here in 12 minutes." She said unlocking my grip around her.

I stared questionably, "…How'd you…?"

"Oh right, I DON'T know, because I can't see them! It's all _very_ frustrating, you know." She stormed out of the room, huffing and puffing. Alice was always frustrated when it came to seeing my side of the family's future. She would easily see mine if it hadn't been for the fact that Jacob and I were attached at the hip.

The way Alice saw the future was by the decision someone had made, and since werewolves changed shape constantly there was no way for their future to determined. She felt blind when she couldn't help in that way. I understood her frustration and tried to sympathize with her.

I sped around the downstairs picking up things, setting up plates, and moving around chairs. Everything was in order as I took a glance around. "Esme?" She appeared at my side at the sound of my voice.

"Yes?"

"How did the casserole turn out?" I asked.

"Well, it looks like it's supposed to. I wouldn't say good, considering that any type of human food repeals me. You should come in here and sample it. Emeril made the directions very clear." She chuckled. Whenever it came to cooking, she insisted that she watched his show. Apparently it was a little inside joke with her and the rest of the Cullens.

As I was walking into the open and air-y kitchen, I was suddenly intercepted. I screamed as I crashed into a big burly chest. Huge arms grabbed me and swept me up. "Hey! It's my favorite niece!" His booming laugh shook me until I was dizzy.

"Hi Emmett. Doya mind putting your favorite niece down? I've got work to do, you know, werewolves are due any minute." I eyed the door and waved my feet back and forth.

"Fine." He sighed as he lowered me to the ground. "You know, we never finished our game of tug-o-war the other day. This whole wedding thing is really annoying."

I glared at him, and then broke into a smile. "You know I'll win, right?"

"HA! In your dreams." He stalked away. I shook my head and continued toward the casserole.

"What do you think?" Esme chimed.

As I tasted the dish, my face lit up when I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed to greet the pack but Jacob was already opening the door.

"JAKE! NESSIE!" Quil was first to step inside. He grabbed a quick kiss from me and hurried off to follow his nose.

"Renesmee, honey!" Billy came and took my hand and held it against his cheek.

"Hello, Billy!" I leaned down to give him a peck. It was weird to look at him in the way that he was now, my father-in-law. How odd. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. I guess it wasn't as weird as Edward being Jake's father-in-law.

"Hey gramps!" Jake caught Charlie in an embrace before I could get to him.

"Well, if it isn't the happy married couple. Geesh, Jake! Get off me!" Charlie joked as he pushed him away.

"Hey Charlie." I gave him a smooch as he passed.

"Where's my little girl?" He asked looking around.

Bella and Edward came through the back door and headed toward the crowd. "Dad!" Bella screeched as she ran to give him a hug.

"Hey darlin! Hey Edward!" Bella led them into the kitchen while I stood at the door to greet the rest of the pack.

Everyone came as we exchanged kisses, hugs, and high fives. I heard _oohs_ and _awws_ as people were reviewing the food we had prepared. "Can we take whatever?" Seth asked as he trailed behind Edward.

"Anything!" Esme said. You could tell that she just loved the fact we were all together.

"Who knew, Vamps and Wolves in a house under good circumstances?" Jake whispered as he past me. I snatched his hand before he could go any further. I pulled him up the stairs with me, leaving the party behind.

"What did I do?" He looked around the room sheepishly. "Quil told me that it was cool."

"What?" I paused, looking puzzled.

"Oh, uh, nevermind. What's up?" He rubbed my hand as we walked toward our room.

I shut the door and backed him into the opposite wall. "I just need you for five minutes." I started kissing him passionately. I followed his jaw line from lobe to lobe, not missing a spot.

"Ness…" he gasped. "Do you think we should leave them down there… you know Vamps VS. Wolves."

"Five minutes, it's all I ask." I said in between kisses. My knees buckled as I was being whisked to the bed. He shifted his weight and hovered over me, taking his hand and cupping me behind my neck. "You don't understand how good this feels." I shook with thrills as the movements of our lips were synced.

"I think I might have some comprehension." He grazed his nose over my cheekbones and up to the temples and across my forehead. My hand trailed from the top of his neck to the small of his back, over his strong muscles that were hidden beneath his cotton shirt. He kissed me once more before he rolled me on top of him. I nuzzled against his chest and he traced my shoulder blades and trailed down to my rib cage. "Okay, one more, it's been seven minutes."

I entwined my hands into his black, silky hair. He pulled my curls as we enjoyed our last minute of alone time until later that night. "I love you. Did I ever tell you that?"

"I think you might have mentioned it a couple times. I can't be sure." He squeezed me closer and finally lifted us off the bed. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed up and down his face as he walked toward the door. "Hold tight." He whispered at the top of the stairs.

We slid down the banister and he landed gracefully and hoisted me back up on his hip. I threw my head back in laughter. He walked us into the family room where everyone stood around chatting and scarfing down food.

"Where were you two love birds?" Jasper asked. "I actually probably don't want to know."

I stuck my tongue out at him as I unhitched myself off of Jacob's side. He let me drop but grabbed my hand when I tried to walk away. "I don't want to let you go just yet." He whispered softly so that no one heard, and his warm breath trickled down my neck. We paraded around the room and chatted away. Brady was sitting on the edge of the couch munching on a bag of cheetos. He was a full-grown man now, 6'8"; he was about eye level with me even sitting on the couch. The pack was so interesting. The stories and legends were told just as amazing as Bella had described of when she first heard them. I loved knowing everything Jake grew up with.

I glanced over at my parents, and they were settled into the loveseat, perfectly molded to each other. Bella had her knees pulled up to her chin and her head leaned back against his chest. His arms pulled her closer and he swiped a few kisses on her jaw line. You could see her eyes light up whenever she felt the tingle of his touch against her ivory skin.

"Okay, okay!" Rosalie skipped into the room with arms full of gifts. Emmett came in after her carrying a huge box. "Presents! Jake, Renesmee, get over here. I can't wait to give you my gift."

Jake lifted me off the couch as I groaned. I heard Bella and Charlie chuckle, as Edward sighed. "She got that from you, Bella."

"Hey, I don't think there is a comparison to how much my mom hates gifts." I cracked up at remembering every Christmas that she would cringe whenever Edward held up a wrapped box.

"You're right." Edward laughed and hugged her tighter.

The first gift Rosalie handed me was wrapped in thin newspaper comics. I glanced over at Seth and he just shrugged. "Don't look at me like that!"

I ripped the paper off with my teeth, trying to be sexy, and Jacob hurled into laughter. "You're a dork!" he teased.

I opened the huge box and pulled out a blender. "Really?" I snapped my head up to look at Seth. "Why?"

He shrugged again, "Well, it's like a normal wedding gift, isn't it?"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter. His cheeks became rosy and he looked down. "Thanks Seth! I'm sure we'll need it someday. Maybe we can make smoothies after the house is done and we all have a big sleepover." Jake grinned at Seth and reached over me to get another box.

This time he handed me a small one that had been wrapped to perfection with pink paper with a small bow that covered the top. I carefully pealed back the paper and peeked inside before ripping the rest off frantically. The box that I pulled out was made of purple satin and the gold rims were in need of a shine. I pinched it open as I felt my face burn with excitement. I gasped as the lid flew open. "It's beautiful!" I looked up and made a sweep around the room to guess whom the gift was from. "Dad, really, you shouldn't of."

"Don't be silly. It was my mother's. I know that she would of wanted it to go to someone that I love. Let me help." He gently shifted Bella so her back would be against the love seat instead of his chest. He gave her a quick kiss on the head and appeared next to me. He took the silver chain with his cold fingers as I pulled my curly hair up out of the way. He clasped it together and I let my hair fall back into place. I touched the cold stone that clung to my skin. I kissed Edward and moved gracefully to the mirror and gazed at the necklace. It was absolutely perfect, with a midsized emerald stone placed in the center, outlined with small diamonds shaped like hearts.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Dad. It won't leave my neck." I just stared at the stone and then cleared my throat and looked back to the crowd. Rosalie and Leah got up to get a closer look.

"Wow Edward, your mother had good taste." Leah teased.

Leah was the last person I had thought to get close to me. She had despised me when I was born, and I wasn't entirely convinced that she'd gotten over that until about 3 years ago, when she had a complete meltdown at Sam and Emily's wedding. Jake was completely annoyed at the fact I wanted to help her, and we had been in a few fights about the whole friend thing, but in the end Jake knew he couldn't ignore the situation any longer. He thanked me after that ordeal when he realized that I had finally been able to bring the whole pack together. It was stronger than ever. He never wanted to call it a pack because he hated the responsibility. I always told him his power was sexy to me, so in order to keep me entertained he led it with dignity.

"Speaking of taste," Rosalie intercepted my train of thought and I was snapped back into reality. "This isn't very tasteful. You might want to look away Edward, Bella." She threw her head back with a loud laugh and handed me a box.

"Oh no, Rosalie, please… don't tell me this is what I think it is." I took the box from her and slowly started to tear the paper. Edward snickered and then pretended to hold his hand over his eyes. "Oh…my…god. This is so embarrassing!" I quickly pulled the lacy garment out and sat on it before any of the wolf boys could get a good look.

Rosalie is another character we thought we'd never see come around. Rosalie and Bella weren't always on the best terms. She never understood the reason behind Bella's choice to give up her mortal life, the one thing she yearned for the most. When Bella became pregnant with me, they felt an instant bond and trusted each other. How could they not? I was a menace. I heard the things that were said about me, and I always felt so ashamed to bring it up, but they all seemed to know how much I cared for Bella, even before I had met my mother face to face.

"Okay," Bella started to get off the couch, with Edward helping her. "It's time for the big present. It's from Alice, Esme, and I."

She led Jake and I, as the rest of the family followed, outside to where our house was being built. I squealed and ran, dragging Jake behind me, to the house that was newly finished.

"What! When did this get done?" I stared up at the tan and two-story house. Every detail was perfect. Brown shutters drew my eyes to the windows and the two trees that were connected by the hammock looked utterly peaceful. The porch was raised with large pillars on opposite sides, topped with a balcony overlooking the river that rushed through the yard. "This is perfect." Tears started swelling in my eyes and I clung to Jacob as we walked toward the door.

I turned around to see that we were alone. "Oh. I didn't even get to thank them."

"Well, we have all night. They don't sleep."

Jake swooped me up in his arms and I twisted the handle with my free hand. The room flowed in rich hues and was filled with oversized furniture, and everything screamed Esme. "Let's check out our bedroom."

We climbed the stairs in a human set speed, taking it all in, till we stopped at the first door on the right. I didn't see much of the room because Jake buried us in the covers before I could get a good look. We talked, laughed, kissed, and snuggled until the room fell silent besides our deep and heavy breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Warning

I saw the gates closing as I was speeding ahead. "No!" I yelped and plunged forward, trying to make it in time, but was stopped short by a loud clang of them being bolted together.

"There's no place for you to turn, so stop running. It's a waste of time and frankly, I'm getting quite annoyed. I can't keep chasing you like this. You've had your shot." A smooth voice was standing over me, and the man placed his freezing, cold fingers and pried me from the ground. I shot up next to him and started to hyperventilate.

"Please, I have a family."

"Yeah, yeah. We've heard it all before. I don't think we really count wolves as family, anyway." I stared at him in horror. The blood rushed to my head and I swaggered back in forth.

"What?" Catching my breath was the last thing I was going to be able to do. The walls of the city were spinning around me in a blur, and I tumbled to the floor.

Out of nowhere I was being shaken violently and burned. I was sweating, it was too hot in this small room, and someone was crying. "Renesmee!"

I blinked my eyes clear and look up and saw the heavens opening. "Nessie, it's okay. I'm here. I'm here." Jacob soothed and touched his burning palms to my face. "It was just a dream, everything is fine. I'm here. Look up."

He sat me up and cradled me. "I… I'm sorry. It was a bad dream." I assured him that I knew where I was. "Thank you for waking me up." I threw the covers off and slid out of bed as my feet thumped onto the floor.

"I need to go see Alice. Please, go back to sleep." I leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Be back soon. Nothing to worry about."

I darted out and raced toward the Cullen's house. "Alice!" I shouted, but she had already been standing at the door.

"Is everything okay?"

"I just had the craziest dream. Touch my face." She cupped her hand to my cheek and was wrapped in my world of memories: the walls, the darkness, the red, the long cloaks, and the black iron gates.

She jerked her hands away and gulped.

"You've seen this place before, Alice?"

"Yes. I don't think there is any reason to panic. The Voluturi have no reason to be suspicious. No reason to come here. I can't see them coming, but I haven't been watching." She gazed into space, the face she does when she has her visions. "I'm searching. I don't see anything, I might have missed something."

Edward had opened the back door and stepped inside. "What's going on?" He looked back and forth between Alice and I, worried. Always worried.

"She had a nightmare. Touch her face."

I let him visualize what I had seen and he let his hand drop calmly from my skin and then balled into fists. "Hm." He walked over to the couch and sat down.

"I mean, it was just a dream. I just get scared easily when they seem so real." I assured them. "See? Nothing to worry about."

I said the words as if to calm myself. These days, nothing had been scaring me; my dreams consisted of flowers and butterflies, and that doesn't really put a fear into someone's head.

"You haven't kept an eye on them?" Edward said calmly. "Why not?"

"There's been no reason to, Edward. I mean Bella is no longer human. They've seen and have believed in Renesmee. What else is there?" She began to pace the floor.

"There's always a reason to look out for us, Alice." Edward clenched his teeth together.

"Hey, it's not her fault. You can't put that all on her, Dad. It was just a dream. I came to her just to be calmed down. It's okay. In fact, I'm so tired, I'm going back to bed!" I reassured them, and started heading for the door. I'd let them sort this out with themselves. I wasn't tired. I needed to clear my head. I started to run.

The Volturi were all but a memory to me now, a distant past. The first and last time I'd ever seen a member of the "royal family" was when my mother was sure that it'd be the death of all us. I'd remembered it clearly: the way she always touched Edward, the fear and agony in her voice when she spoke to me, and the worst was when she knew she would have to risk her life for the chance of Jacob getting me out alive. I had put those memories in the very back of my head, and never wanted to bring them up again. The very thought of me standing next to the cloaked men again put a shiver so deep in my spine that my teeth started to chatter.

What had it meant? Had it really just been a nightmare? I didn't understand why it would be put into my dreams when nothing had reminded me of them lately. I didn't really believe in prophecy with dreams, but I guess that nothing in our world had restrictions. This could have been a warning, or merely a reminder.

I came to a halt. "Seven years."

Seven years was what they knew, what they had been told. How could this of slipped our minds? I wheeled around and shot myself back toward the big, white house.

Edward was at the door with a horror struck face. "You're right, Ness." He embraced me and stroked my hair. "We won't let them hurt you, okay?" He was trying to calm me.

Seven years had been the magic number. Seven years ago was when we found out about the other half vampire child. It took him this amount of time to fully develop, and the Volturi had reminded us that they would be back sooner or later to "check-in". They had believed the story…the truth… at the time, enough to leave us, but they would not forget about the huge discovery they uncovered that day. They would keep their side of the promise, to make sure we kept ours. There was no way around it; I had to go to Italy. I couldn't let them anywhere near this place. Not with my family that made up half the population.

"No. You aren't going alone." Alice snapped her head up. "No. No. No way! Ness, you've never been there. It's dangerous. Especially for someone with a beating heart!"

"I agree. I'm coming with you."

"I can't see you going." Alice shrugged. "I do see Bella, however."

"No." Edward growled through his teeth. "She's not going. I won't allow it."

"I am not telling you that you can't go. It's just what I see."

"Jake will come with me. He won't let me go by myself anyway. We'll just show them that our promise has been kept."

"HA! HA! Yeah right! Good one, Ness." Alice boomed. "First off, I can't see werewolves. If we have to do this, I am not diving in blind. No way in hell. Second off, I don't believe that the Volturi really approve of the wolves. Actually, I _know _they don't approve of them. And third, I don't see that it'll help your already messed up situation. You know, whole half vampire thing."

"She's right. Jacob can't go. I hate to separate you two, but if you want to protect your husband, you'll have to leave him at home." Edward agreed tugging at my hand.

Leave _my husband_ at home? The thought alone was more than I could bear. I slipped to the floor and put my head between my knees. Calm yourself. It's only for a few days. Besides, you're the one that's going to be in danger. Knowing Jake, he'll be bored out of his mind waiting for you in the ever so safe town of Forks. Nothing is to be worried about. The old family won't go back on their word, they value the rules much too highly to do such a thing. Bella will be able to protect my mind from Jane and the others.

I needed to talk to my mother.

I carried myself quickly to the stone cottage and rapped loudly on the door. "Mom?" The door flung open and my beautiful mother was standing there with her unkempt hair and ragged jeans.

I let her in on my dream and my thoughts about going to the Voluturi while I stared at her perfect face. Even in her distressed face, you couldn't keep from staring at her perfect lines.

She waited till I was done ranting and calmly put her hand on my shoulder. "Ness, it's not safe for Jacob to go. You know that. The Volturi are the most powerful people of our world. They don't understand how things from the outside of it can have such an impact. They were after me the first time they heard about me. I know that they know about the wolves, but having them there under _their_ conditions would be stupid. We will work this out. We don't have to leave now; we will talk to Carlisle in the morning. Okay, baby?"

"Right. Love you, mom." I muttered and headed back to the house that contained the one person that I needed to see more than anything, my Jacob.

I climbed into bed and molded myself to his dreaming body. His body synchronized with mine out of habit and I caressed his bare skin. What was I supposed to do? The thought of going somewhere without him, even to the market was an annoying thing I'd taught myself to live with, but across the country to a family that could literally behead me if they wanted was something I could _not _live through. And how much of this dream could possibly be true? Alice was sure that only Bella coming with me would be enough, but how could she be positive? Before I knew it, I was panting before the thought. I felt a warm hand cradle my face and so I looked up.

"Honey, what's wrong. Tell me." Jacob's brows were furrowed together and the stress related face was cringing with the pictures he was seeing. "I don't understand."

How was I supposed to look him in the eye to tell him I was going to meet my fate by myself, and that this might be the last couple of weeks we had together. I couldn't. I didn't have any clue if the Volturi would let me go or not. There were no promises with them. Put on a happy face. There is nothing to worry. I repeated that to myself until I was able to pull the stress lines out of my face.

"Oh, I just have to go to Italy to show them that seven years have passed. It's only a weekend trip, Bella decided she would go with me so we can have some bonding time." Damn. So much for being convincing, my words had scrambled together and I was fidgeting with his hair.

"Hm." He stared into my eyes and leaned in to give me a passionate kiss. I parted my lips felt his warm breath in my mouth. I couldn't live a day without this feeling. His kiss was my safety blanket. If we had been in Viet Nam with bullets flying past our heads, his kiss would of put me in some type of mirage of blue skies and kites. I kissed him back harder, realizing all of this made it clearer that I couldn't let him go with me. I wouldn't be the type of person to risk someone live for my own.

I had to go alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Time Out

We woke up intertwined in the white bed sheets, touching with every part of our body that was possible.

"Hi." Jacob croaked and broke out into a smile as he saw my messy hair standing on top of my head. "You had a long night."

I laughed and gave him a kiss.

"Now, I know there is something on your mind about this whole dream thing. You need to talk to me about it. I want to be here for you, you just have to let me in."

I couldn't stand seeing him in agony. I spilled.

"I have to go with Bella because I can't put you in danger. I won't allow myself to do that. If something ever happened to you, I couldn't live with myself. Nothing in the world would hurt me more. You have to understand where I'm coming from. As much as it stings to even think about being apart from you, the thought of you being that close to the Volturi, to Jane, and Felix… I can't do that. I won't. I'm sorry." I exhaled and leaned my head back onto his bare shoulder. My cheek burned against his skin, which was, by far, the best feeling in the world.

"I see. Is this something I should even worry about? It's just a visit, right? They'll check to see that you're grown, yadda yadda, and then you come right back to me?" His face seemed calmed and understanding.

I don't know. "Right."

We dressed in silence as the second hand clicked nosily on the clock. The quiet was something I could hardly bear. I was about to scream and put an end to it when I felt heat press against my skin.

"Everything will be fine. We'll all be okay. I know you're worried, but there isn't anything we can't overcome if we have each other."

I turned around to read Jacobs face, but it was completely normal. His pleasant face seemed out of place at a time like this. He held up his index finger and pushed between my crinkled brow lines. I released my tension and let my head collapse onto his chest. There was no reason to stress about it so much when I really had no idea what we were in for. I needed to talk to Carlisle.

"Come in." I stepped into Carlisle's office and strolled over to take a seat on the couch. "Are you alright, Renesmee? You look a bit tired. Alice told me about the things you saw last night." He sat in his chair with the most elaborate posture. He was a statue, like something you would see in a cement catalogue. He was much too perfect for the real world. I don't see how anyone could believe the lie we were all so concentrated on keeping.

"That's why I came in here. I'm worried about it. What if it wasn't just a dream?"

"Ah, yes it seems you are quite shaken up about this." He studied my face and patiently waited for me to go on.

"I'm not one to worry, but it came to my attention that it has been seven years. I'm fully grown, and the Volturi would want to know that, right?"

"Well, I'm sure they would be interested in it. Alice is watching them now. They won't be able to slip something from her. We should probably wait until a decision has been made."

"I just don't want them to be anywhere near Forks. I'd much rather go to them if it would keep a handle on things here at home. I don't want to sound selfish when I say this but..." I took a breath.

"Say what?"

"I want to keep them as far away from the werewolves as possible. And it's not because Jacob is my husband." I blurted. I did sound selfish. It's not that I wouldn't want them to be near the Cullens, they just seemed so much more indestructible than my warm Jacob.

"That is understandable. I think the best thing we can do right now is to wait it out until something has been brought to our attention. There's no reason to worry right now. You'll be the first to know if Alice sees anything dangerous." Carlisle calmed me down and I closed the study door behind me and slid down the banister.

"Anymore plans to go to Italy, little niece?" Emmett trucked in his muddy boots.

"Emmett! Take those off! You're tracking in mud. You better clean this up before Esme sees this." Rosalie snapped, but then skipped to the side of her husband and gave him a smooch. "And where have you been all day? Alice and I were working on our fashion line and next thing I know the house was empty."

"Edward and I went out to look for some game. We got like two hours north and had to come home because Bella called. It's too bad too because I could just smell my happiness in the air." Emmett laughed and flung his shoes out the back door and headed toward the supply closet.

"Why did Bella call him home?" Rosalie questioned.

I already knew the answer. She was worried about me. I hadn't said anything else about the Italy thing but she knew I was just keeping it to myself.

"Man, I don't know. Edward runs too fast. He literally said, 'Bella called, I gotta get back.' And took off. I mean, who does that?" Emmett shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "We missed out! You should have seen the size of those bears! Right in the middle…"

I giggled and hit him in the ribs. I was going to have to play the part better. No more stress, worry lines, or clammy hands; I had to get myself together. It was only a dream, if Alice hadn't seen any member of the Volturi coming, there should be no reason to waste precious moments building tension between the Cullens. Even if I had to go Volterra, it would be a short trip. They were too strict on their rules to do something irrational against someone who was completely innocent.

"Emmett, when Jake and I get back, we're finishing our tug-o-war match. You too, Rosalie." I patted his shoulder and headed out the back door toward my new house.

I heard Rosalie tell Emmett the new strategy; I think they literally forget about how good all our hearing is. Oh well, guess that means we'll win.

I skipped inside the house and spiraled up the stairs to find Jacob watching football on the bed. I playfully jumped on top of him and started kissing his neck and cheeks.

"Hi honey!" I said as I flashed my white teeth and then rested my head on his chest.

"Sweetheart, what do you want?" He always knew when I was up to something. I swear he had a radar built inside of him.

"You. But, since I already have that...I need to get out of this house, well, out of Forks."

"La push?"

"No, I want to just go somewhere. Run. Hunt. Be with you. Anywhere, as long as you're with me." I looked at him with pleading eyes. I knew that he didn't want to miss the game, but I couldn't stand having everyone look at me with careful eyes. They all knew I was about to crack.

He sighed and pushed the red button on the remote. He pulled himself up to meet his eye line. He stroked my worry wrinkles away and kissed my dimples. He was so warm. I would never want to be away from him, this was going to be harder than I thought if my dream did end up coming true.

"Are you okay, Ness?" He searched my eyes for some sort of evidence, and when I didn't give any he just shook his head. "I love you. You're the one thing in this world that I couldn't live without. There's nothing in this world that could make me as happy and satisfied with life if you weren't in it." He pressed his forehead against mine and leaned in to give me three short kisses.

"You love me more than I deserve, but I shouldn't love you as much as I do. It's probably unhealthy. Nothing could ever make me stop, though." Our breaths were hot against each other's skin. I almost couldn't take the suspense and the linger in the air. I could taste the want, the lust for one another. It was hardly bearable, as we lied so close, completely taken over by the need.

He skinned his hand over the curve of my ribs and down to the bottom of my shirt as he tugged on it. I lifted my self up so he could pull the fabric over my head. I felt my hair fall back onto my bare shoulders and I pulled myself closer to him. Nothing was in between us now, like it should always be. Our breathing was synchronized, although his was becoming heavier and I pulled myself on top of him. He traced my shoulder blades with his fingertips and I explored his chest and his stomach with mine.

We tore off clothing until there was nothing more and we romped around in bed, while limbs went flying, heartbeats raced, and cries of pleasure rung out in the stale air. We both could go all day and never stop, but our heartbeats eventually came back to regular pace and the sweat beads against our backs finally dried out and we stretched out over the bed.

"You have no idea how much I needed that." I whispered and he put his arm around me to act as a pillow for my neck.

"Mmm…" he nuzzled against my face and slipped in a few more kisses before pushing himself up and onto the floor. The light was hitting his naked and flawless skin, so much darker than mine, so much contrast. He was breathtakingly gorgeous and he was all mine. He glanced over at me and pulled out a perfect smile while he slid his jeans over his sculpted hips. How could something so beautiful be standing in the same room with me? He was from a dream, nothing like the dreams I had the other night, he was the one to save you from falling or drowning. He was the face you'd see leading you toward the white gates. He was much too perfect for me, for the world.

I twisted my wedding band around my finger and raised my hand to marvel at it. I was snapped back into reality as Jacob had pulled the covers back and started to literally drag me out of the bed. I felt much too exposed even though he had seen it all before. The air around us was a temperature shock, like always when I had been lying next to him. I shuddered and he pulled me close, fully clothed. Either he was out of place, or I was. I walked toward the closet and pulled on a button up flannel and some jeans.

He pulled out his case full of maps of Washington, much of which had been completely highlighted and written on that it was hardly legible. I sighed. I didn't wanted to have a plan to where we were headed; it took too much time. I wanted to just escape and be as free from strategy as I could. I came to stand behind him, as he kneeled on the ground, and slid my hands down his arms and clasped his hands. He dropped the papers and took my palms against his and weaved our fingers. I just stood there, hardly bent over his huge body, and placed my head on top of his.

"No maps. No plans. Let's go." I whispered in his ear. He pulled me over his shoulder and I fell onto his lap while he cupped my back and legs and straightened up into a standing position.

His concern look was much too unavoidable. "Fine. One map. You have them freaking memorized, I don't know why you get so uptight about not having one."

He shrugged. "It makes me feel normal."

"If we close to be any kind of normal we wouldn't be planning to take a day hiking trip that should take a human the entire week." I touched his face and he carried me through the house. I closed the door tight behind me, and we were off running east into the beautiful green forest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Time

The wind whipped through my hair and made my chocolate eyes water, but did not blur my vision. The trees sped past me and I raced Jacob up hills and over bodies of water. There was no talking, just the sound of our footsteps and steadied breathing. The forest was full of life today and the birds were welcoming the sunshine. It would have been warm if our running didn't allow the wind to blow harshly on our faces. I peeked over at Jacob and he was right by my side. We were running in unison, step after step, our chests continued to rise and fall at the same time.

The trees became clearer and the sky seemed brighter, so I quickened my steps and found myself in a clearing. I stopped and eyed the scenery, the trees were high and the sun was glistening off of the river that was rushing over rocks and sand. The fish swam happily down the current trying to catch something to eat underneath the stones. Jacob came thudding next to me and put his warm hand in mine. I looked up at him towering over me and smiled. We didn't have anywhere to be and this seemed like a perfect place to lounge in. I walked over next to the river and he trailed behind me.

"It's beautiful out today." He knelt beside the stream and cupped his hands as the water rushed into them. He brought it to his face and poured it into his mouth. "Not bad. It isn't freezing."

I looked up and down the river and stuck my finger in. Ideas circled in my head of wanting to just jump in and let the sunshine bake on my porcelain body. No other idea I'd have had sounded so amazing. I pulled off my shirt and unbutton my pants in a swift speed and my shoes flew off behind me. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and laughed.

"My, my!" Jacob was startled by my sudden need to go swimming and even blushed. "Well, can I come too?" He was already dropping his pants and headed toward the edge.

I pulled my hands over in a dive like position and leapt off the ground and the water absorbed my body. I could feel the current change and looked over to see Jacob with his tongue out at me. I lowered my lips and sucked in some water as I swam toward him. I latched onto his neck and pulled back my head far away enough and aimed toward his nose. He jerked back as the stream of warm water spat against his face.

"Oh no you don't!" He pushed me away and started splashing me as much as he could. "Take that, Mrs. Black!"

I screamed and turned away, swimming to the opposite side of the river, while kicking the water harshly in the process. He came after me and locked his arms around my waist and cradled me. I felt weightless. I leaned my head back and let the water block my hearing. The sky was nearly cloudless and the sun beat on my face. I hummed a familiar tune and let him drag me up and down the river. He ran his fingertips up and down my bare stomach and eventually over my chest and neck. I peeked through my eyelids to find him staring at me with a goofy smile spread across his face.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy I'm here." He said sheepishly.

"Me too." I curled up to give him a peck. "Who knew?"

"I know. I never thought I'd be here with someone so wonderful, so perfect. Who knew there was such a creature in the world? I didn't know that perfect people even existed anymore." He ran his fingers through my hair.

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes, but squeezed him tighter.

The afternoon flew by and suddenly the sun was behind the tree line. The moon was starting to shine through more clearly and Jacob's skin was turning prune because of the hours we spent floating on the water. I finally climbed out of the river and spread out on the grass. Jacob pulled himself up and crept over to me to put his head on my lap. I sighed and ruffled through his thick black hair. His eyes closed in response and his body went limp. The day was ending perfectly and I didn't want to think about leaving this spot.

No, it wasn't the spot I was concerned about leaving, it was this exact moment, with everything in perfect order. Just Jacob and me. Nothing else in the world mattered to us now. I took in everything; the breeze off the waves that moved hair against my damp skin, the smell of the fresh water being soaked into the grass, the touch of my fingers against his forehead. I bent down to give him a gentle kiss.

"Thank you." He whispered. He took my fingers and weaved them into his.

The sun was finally set and the stars were perfectly aligned. I gazed up and took those in too. No matter how amazing or horrible the day had been, the stars would come out and remind you that in a few hours you could start over again. I liked the promise of that. I liked that no matter how unbelievable the day could be, there was always room for it to grow more perfect.

After a few more minutes of staring we both agreed we should head back to the house so we could actually get a good nights sleep.

The sun decided that yesterday had been enough, so the clouds covered the sky for a nice case of overcast. I sighed and opened the curtains wider. I dressed fast and casually as the whiff of waffles floated up the stairs. The banister flew underneath me as I turned the corner to see Jake wearing an apron and chef's hat. I laughed and snatched it off his head. He bent down to give me a warm kiss.

"Good morning beautiful!" He pulled out the stool for me and hugged me from behind, while placing a plate stacked high and drenched in syrup in front of me.

"Thanks, baby." I dug in, and although it did not satisfy my thirst, my stomach was definitely full. "I'm going over to Bella's house for a little bit, you okay by yourself?"

"Of course, Emmett wanted to catch the game anyway."

I took off toward the little cottage right next to the river. Edward was already outside, of course. He smiled a crooked smile that touched his eyes and held out his arms. He embraced me and kissed the top of my head.

"How are you, Nessie?" His velvet voice floated through the air and led me inside.

"I'm great, Dad. Thanks." I looked around the room searching for Bella. Everything was in perfect order, the cool colors of the furniture and walls were displayed perfectly with books scattered around looking somewhat staged, although wasn't.

"She's in the bedroom. She's just getting dressed. How are you and Jacob?" He motioned for me to sit down. He didn't have to ask questions, he could hear what I was thinking about every moment of the day. I was more likely to be shouting about the love of my husband than whispering softly. He chuckled at my thought.

"Great. Perfect. Wonderful. Do you want me to go on?" I teased.

He shook his head and turned around to see Bella standing in the doorway. His eyes lit up and he walked over to her and lifted her up to kiss her the proper way.

"Edward…" Her eyes flashed towards me and back on his perfect face. "Hi darling." She was at my side in a second and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Just stopping in?"

"Yes. I've been sort of distant, haven't I?" I was ashamed of the fact that I had left her here worrying. The past couple of days had been so perfect that I had forgotten my horrid nightmare. "Everything is fine though."

"Don't worry about me." She reassured me. "What have you been doing these past couple days?"

I placed my hand on her cool cheek and let my memories of the run yesterday, the cool water, the perfect stars, and the smell of waffles this morning. Her face was resting in the palm of my hand and her eyes were delighted at the vision she was seeing. I, of course, left out the more intimate scenes and quickly pulled back my hand before those memories could escape and become something she would probably be horrified at. I laughed under my breath. "See? Not much."

I started getting settled into the couch as Bella continued on about her and Edwards next vacation as the door flew open and Alice nearly tackled us.

"What is it, Alice?" Bella jumped up and was looking intently on Alice's strained and beautifully twisted face.

"It's the Volturi." Her black eyes were glossing over and she stared out into the future. My heart raced and beat sporadically out of proportion. "They've made a decision to come here. We need to intercept them. We don't have much time."

"How much, Alice?" I spit out.

"I can't tell. It keeps changing. Marcus wants to leave tonight, but Aro insists they wait a couple more days. I'm thinking they will be on their way Friday." She rubbed her temples.

"One, two, three…" I muttered to myself while counting on my fingers. "Five days, Alice!? Only five?" I nearly had to have someone restart my heart. "Let's go, then!"

"Now?" Bella was searching my face for some kind of relief. She wanted me to relax and tell her how I was kidding and we'd never leave without notice. I didn't give it to her. I could never let them come here. We had to leave tonight. We had to leave now.

"Mother, you know we have to leave now, we cannot endanger Forks like this. Are you saying we let them come here?" I almost wanted to yell, but I kept my voice restrained and waited for her to get grips on what was about to go down.

"You're right. Let me get my things." Bella began but Edward was already rounding the corner with her luggage. "Right. Well, we should probably get to the airport then."

"Let me go grab some clothes." In a swift moment, I was out the door and headed toward my house. "Jacob!"

He came out from our room on the balcony that overlooked our living room in only boxers. "What's wrong, Renessmee?"

I raced up to meet him and put my hands on both sides of his face and leaned in to give him an intense kiss. I didn't want to say goodbye. It would only be for a few days, but I kept seeing flashes of men in dark capes surrounding me. I let my images of Bella's house and Alice's grand entrance fill his vision. He pulled me into the bedroom and started grabbing stacks of clothes and stuffing them frantically into the entirely too small duffle bag.

"Jake." I wrapped my hands around his large wrists and he stopped what he was doing and looked into my eyes. "It's okay. I can get this. We aren't racing."

His hands dropped to his side and he sat on the head of the bed watching me flurry around the room, collecting articles that I would actually need. You could see the panic in his eyes. The skin around his knuckles was white from the strain he put on them while clasping his hands together in his lap. He sat there patiently until I zipped up my bag and put it on my shoulder. He took the bag off my shoulder and led me downstairs and out the door.

"I can walk." I teased. He let go of my waist and walked close by me, always keeping his eyes down. " Bella is coming with me. You don't need to worry about anything. Just think of it as a mini-vacation."

"Yeah, a vacation to a slaughter house. How pleasant." You could tell by the tone of his voice that this would be a long couple of days for him.

We packed our suitcases in Edwards Volvo. Jacob squeezed in, too tall for a normal car, he sprawled across the backseat, and I climbed in on top of his lap and put my face against his. I breathed in his breath and felt his warm cheek against mine. His hair brushed the top of mine and his strong arms held me tight. Edward gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly and Bella put her hand on his knee.

The Cullen's house disappeared behind us as we raced toward the airport.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Take Off's and Landing's

The drive to the airport was way too fast. I couldn't get enough looks at Jacob before the car had finally come to a stop. Edward hopped out and reached Bella's door before pulling her out of the car by his hand. I climbed off of Jacob and he took my fingers when he was untangled from the car. Edward took Bella's bags, and Jacob grabbed mine.

"Be back in 20 minutes." Edward tossed the keys to the attendant and led Bella through the automatic doors as we followed them.

The line to the ticket booth zigzagged back and forth and the people were becoming impatient. I could see the stares they were trying to hide through their hair. I never remembered how different we looked from humans. Some people would lose their breath or their eyelids would flutter as we passed and they would nudge the person next to them. I could see Bella smile up at Edward. She felt like she belonged next to him and you could see it in her eyes.

The line slowly moved forward until we were finally able to purchase two round tickets to Italy. $2,548 all paid in cash, of course. We were headed toward the security gate, which meant saying goodbyes. Jacob dropped my bags to the floor and spun me around so we were gazing into each other's eyes. He lifted his finger to catch a teardrop, which I didn't even realize were forming.

"Just a few days," he whispered.

I nodded. I was being ridiculous, and I knew that. The fear I had for the Voluturi were definitely intensifying this short trip, especially because I didn't have the protection of my Jacob. As my arms wrapped around his torso I clenched his shirt and let my tears dampen his clean shirt.

"Sorry." I murmured with my lips against his chest. He stroked my hair and then put his hands around my waist and hoisted my up. He looked into my eyes and I pulled myself up higher and shifted my head to the side and leaned in. Our kiss wasn't long and drawn out, but it was very meaningful. It lingered for more, but we both knew that it was time to go. "I love you. Be home soon."

"I know. I love you. You have my only heart." He slowly put me down and then turned to leave. I watched him and Edward walk out of sight and then finally turned to see my mother doing the exact same thing. She finally exhaled and looked at me and tried to put on a reassuring smile.

We finally got through security and settled in our seats, comfy first class. The take off was short but I tapped my foot impatiently and twirled my hair until the flight attendant asked us if we needed anything. I smiled up at her and asked for a Coke. The silence between me and Bella had yet to be disturbed so I finally decided to break it.

"We have no game plan." I sighed.

"There is no reason to have one."

"What if something goes wrong? They don't even know we are coming."

"Well, the Volturi won't do something that they are so strongly against. We've told you that they have an image to maintain. They won't put that in jeopardy." Bella looked tired. Her head was leaned into the seat and her eyes were closed. Stress lines ran down her beautiful face. I wanted to make them go away. I wanted to see her smile and not worry about this like I was, so I decided to change the subject until it was absolutely necessary to talk about the hooded vampires.

"Tell me about my dad."

She looked up, surprised by my comment. My plan worked, her wrinkles washed away and her lips turned upward into a smile that reached her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you guys meet?"

"We met in Biology class. It seems like so long ago." She looked down like she was being taken back to the time. She let out a chuckle. "He wanted to kill me, you know?"

"What?" I was taken aback by the comment. That sentence should have held some kind of anger, but it seemed like sort of a joke now.

"Yeah, La Tua Cantante, My blood sang for him. You're lucky you're here! He would of killed me right there if it hadn't of been for the other students." She was laughing to herself, as it was some private joke. I could tell that it was just as hard to be away from Edward as it was for me to be away from Jake. "I would of done anything for those blood thirsty eyes. He was absolutely breathtaking and I didn't understand why he wanted to talk to me. The plain girl, out of all people."

I couldn't picture my mother as plain. Even when I had seen her after I had been born, she didn't look anything less than beautiful.

For hours, she told me the incredible stories of her human life with Edward. She told me of the first time she knew she was in too deep, the way his body sparkled in the sunlight, and she showed me the scar that was left by James sunken teeth. The way she described him and how he had cleaned her blood left me more adoration for my father than I ever thought I could have.

"What about Jake?"

"He's another story. It's the past. The way things turned out were very different than I had ever imagined." I could feel the wall she had just put up when I mentioned him.

"I want to know. It won't change anything." I knew that it would be hard to hear, but I wanted to know everything I could about his past.

She held up her wrist to show me a bracelet with two charms on it: a wolf, and a diamond heart. She pointed to the wooden carved wolf, and I instantly knew it was meant to be a symbol for Jacob. She explained her obsession with Edward and the reason he left. She had to take deep breaths herself regularly; it was like she was reliving it whenever she told it. She told me how good of a friend Jacob had been to her and how he was her personal sun.

Jacob had been in love with my mother. I didn't realize that had been the case.

"In love?" I gasped.

"Yes. We all came to the conclusion that he couldn't tear himself from me because of you." She put her hand over mine and squeezed it.

"What do you mean?"

"Imprinting is a physical drawn, like gravity moving, you have to be with that person. I guess that he had no choice but to stick around." She explained. "I loved him back, Ness, but Edward was my life. I knew that I couldn't live without him. I always wondered if Jake would find someone like Edward was to me, and he did."

She looked at me and smiled. It made me feel better that nothing had happened between them and Bella had always been 100% sure about Edward.

Suddenly the flight attendant came on warning us that we would be landing in a few minutes. The time had gone by so quickly. I had been engrossed by the stories that Bella had told me and we had done nothing for our plan to meet the Volturi. My heart began to beat erratically. I started to panic.

"Honey, there's nothing to worry about." She reached up to touch my chest where my heart raced forward. "Everything will be fine."

The plane finally started to descend and we were on the ground in seconds. The people began to file out into the terminal, down to the baggage claim. We picked up our luggage and headed toward the door. It was dark outside while we hailed a cab that drove us to the rental car place. Edward had called in a favor; a BMW 116i was pulled around to the front of the building. Of course, it was something ridiculously fast and over the top.

The flight had been so fast for me, and I knew that the drive toward the retched city would be even quicker.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 –The City

To say that I was scared was definitely an understatement. If I didn't have to keep a calm face for my mother, I'm sure that I would have broken out into hives by now. Bella winded the streets and passed small town after small town. I don't know why, but I took comfort in the fact that she was somewhat stressed.

"Brings back bad memories, that's all." She gripped the steering wheel tighter at the thought. "Running through the middle of a fountain really isn't as fun as it sounds."

She was mostly talking to herself. I had no idea what to expect. Did it look like it had in my dreams? Just then I saw the walls aligning a city that was on a hill. It was far away to see much detail but I could make out the iron gates that kept the city safe and closed. Great. This looked exactly like I had imagined. I started to hyperventilate. My hands began to shake and my palm was pressed hard against my chest in attempt to steady my breathing.

"Renesmee! It's okay. Shhh." Bella cooed. As one hand stroked my hair the other turned the wheel back and forth to follow the curvy road.

I tried to pull my face together to let her see a confident smile but the effort was too much. My eyebrows burrowed together and my teeth were clenched.

I peered out the sunroof in relief to see the mackerel sky; with the thin clouds barely covering the suns rays enough for my mother to venture safely outside this metal box. The climb toward the city became steeper and Bella eased onto the gas with more pressure and all I wanted to do was scream at her to slow down. I wanted to scream that I wasn't ready, that my hands were shaking, and that my eyes were bugging out of my head. No one would be able to take me serious; they would call me a nut case if they saw me in this state of mind.

I needed to shake it off, and I had to do this, it wasn't a big deal. Confidence makes a world of difference, or so I've heard – from Jacob of all people – go figure. I turned to my mother and flashed her a brilliant smile to test out my theory. Her face fell a little more relaxed and she strained to return the smile back. I took her freezing hand in my warm fist and held it to my cheek. Her stiff posture loosened up and her head relaxed against the headrest.

"Love you." I sighed.

"I love you too."

We sat there like that for a couple more minutes until she lightly pulled her hand back up to the steering wheel and I realized that her foot had switched from the gas to the brake pedal. The blur of trees were slowly becoming clearer and the city walls I had spotted earlier were towering over the car. We saw the guard standing in front of the black gate with his arms folded together. His expressionless face was so out of place – out of character. It seemed more appropriate for his lips to be turned downward and his face to be filled with stress creases.

Bella made an abrupt stop and the all-too-human man walked forward carelessly. He made a spinning motion with his hand and my mother rolled the window down.

"Yeah, can I help you?" His breath was harsh, smelled of liquor and cigarettes. I could hear him tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for our lousy excuse to get inside the gloomy city walls.

"Yes," my mother's voice was calm and delicate. "We have an appointment."

It was easy, too easy. The man had no further questions, as he stepped away from the car. He motioned to another man, whom I hadn't noticed standing inside a small booth a few yards away, and the gates opened at slug-like rate. I was grateful for that, because I was sure that things inside the city were going to be much faster.

She hesitated before effortlessly nudging the gas down, and the car jolted forward. I held onto the handle while my eyes fluttered around to scope out the environment. Once inside, the cream color of the walls seemed much too harmless, and the smooth bricks were warm and inviting.

We circled around the fountain, which I predicted was the exact one my mother had spoken of. I could picture her panic-stricken face as she fluttered in the water. I could picture her eyes focused on the one spot where her fate had lied, and I followed the image flooding my head to the left, and there it was, the infamous clock tower. I could see her trying with all her might to push Edward into the safety of the shadows. It was all too real and tears started spilling over onto my scarlet cheeks. I kept these stories so close to my heart. It was their history - my history.

We were finally in the shade of the buildings surrounding us, in the small confines of an alleyway, where my mother put the car in park. She cleared her throat and turned to face me.

"Just keep your head down and walk at a quick pace, obviously at nothing more than a human could do." She instructed and grabbed the door handle.

I followed her advice and kept as close to her as possible without stepping on her toes. People chatted carelessly and walked aimlessly around the burg. I could tell instantly that they were not unaware of our presence, and that they knew to stay away from us. They were human, after all.

She led me down several alleyways before we reached the center of the city again and we crossed it. I tried to straighten up my posture and regain composure, with as much confidence as my tiny body could hold. She slowed down and we stood in front of another large building, and she swung the door open. I grabbed it and ducked inside. The room was lavishly decorated and we headed for the elevators. Instead of heading up, she pushed the ground level button. I'm glad I didn't get motion sickness because as soon as the doors had closed, they were already open again inviting us into another fancy room.

I shuffled out onto lush, green carpet and examined the area. It had wood paneling, leather couches, and the floral arrangements were strategically placed around the space. The only light was from some fluorescents overhead and some Tuscan paintings. There was a tall mahogany desk centered perfectly with a woman typing furiously behind it. I noted that the nametag Gianna, and I heard Bella let out a confused "Hmph?" She looked up from the bright computer screen and ogled us up and down before smiling.

"May I help you?" She pulled her long hair behind her ear and sat up straighter. She was very human and you could see the purple bags underneath her eyes. She looked so tired and I wanted to reach out to her and ask her what was wrong, but I was snapped out of my daydream.

"Yes, we are looking for Aro. We have something very important to share with him, and I think that he will be quite surprised that we are here." Bella's voice held such poise and I immediately envied her.

"Erm, okay, well have a seat." She motioned her hand over our shoulder to the couches. "Whom shall I say is in need of him?"

"Bella Cullen." She said proudly as she ushered me to the couches.

I heard a rustle of papers and the clicking of the telephone. She mumbled something about my mother into the speaker before hanging up abruptly. I was so entranced by the vibe of the room, and I was completely on edge that I nearly jumped by the sound of a door opening and slamming shut again.

A man walked swiftly toward the counter and I could immediately tell that it was Felix. His cropped black hair and deep crimson eyes are what set me off.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to stop in. My eyes are not lying I suppose, Bella and Renesmee?" His voice was smooth and polished. "Aro will be very pleased with this."

Bella began to straighten up and I followed. "I shall hope so. I'm guessing that this makes your stress filled preparations much easier. I figured that two traveling would be a lot less effortless for you than having to round up travel arrangements for the whole lot of you."

I stood slightly behind my mother and I was instantly aware of my heart beating against my chest and the color my cheeks were, I'm sure, blazing red.

"Yes," He agreed, "Much, much easier. Shall we?"

He winked at Gianna on the way out and I heard the soft giggle from behind the counter. Poor girl. I had to remember to ask my mother about it when and if we got out of this dungeon.

He held open a big wooden door and motioned for us to step in front of him. It slammed behind him and he was in front leading the way in a heartbeat. We walked swiftly from door to door, down a dimly lit hallway, one after another. We didn't pass one window, and the murky building became more dreadful by the second.

We were finally inside what seemed to be an office of some sort. Everything was placed correctly to give off that illusion. There was a grand desk and a crowded bookcase that filled the entire back wall of books ranging in size and color. The pens and paper were lined in perfect order as if it were some sort of a movie set. This hadn't been in my dream and I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. We shambled inside the room and arranged ourselves comfortably on the plastic feeling sofa.

It felt immediately cramped in the room, and awkward even. Felix was on the opposite side facing toward us, throwing glares while we waited. I felt the sense of becoming claustrophobic and rolled up my sleeves carefully. Felix grabbed a newspaper that was placed on the desk and examined over the headlines. I suddenly felt a sense of relief to be away from those painful eyes.

The door swung open and we all turned our attention to a graceful man pouring into the room. I recognized him at once and shifted uncomfortably in my chair. His dark hair flowed perfectly around his balanced features.

"What a surprise!" Aro's voice sang throughout the air and he held out his hand in a welcoming gesture. "I did not expect this. How great!"

His sincerity was enough to drive me over the edge. I gripped the couch. My images of him contemplating on killing me when I was only months old flooded my vision. It was a distant past now but I would never forget the fear and tremble in my mother's voice when it had come time to say goodbye. I hoped and prayed that it would have the same outcome. He would have nothing to charge us with.

"Renesmee! You've grown so much!" He held out his hand inviting me in for a shake.

I could feel an instant heat that surrounded my body. It felt as if someone was pushing me into a wall full of clay, and it was molding around me. I almost started to panic but my eyes darted to Bella and I could see the clear concentration on her face. Of course she would use her shield to protect our family. I had almost forgotten about her amazing power.

I reached out and took his hand, feeling the band of comfort mold around my movement.

His generous face became blank and he pulled away. "Hm." He shook his head while eyeing my mother.

"I suppose you should verbally tell me what you are doing here, then."

My mother cleared her throat and began to tell us about our adventure.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Room

"Aw, yes." Aro nodded his head as my mother spoke softly about our lives. Not putting into detail about marriage to a werewolf, of course.

We had discussed this, and we would do everything to not involve Jacob or the pack. Just one slip of mentioning them would cause the to go into a frenzy. They, of course, had known about our truce with them but we still didn't want them knowing anything more than we had to share.

She spoke about how happily I grew into what I am now, feeding on animals and being taught at home. I grew up too fast to be in the public eye.

"So, you are seven this year then?" He looked at me.

"Yes."

He looked me up and down and then winked at me. I felt a sudden urge to slap that stupid smile off his face. What a sick freak. I breathed in the cold air and shivered. I needed to get out of here.

"You do smell good though! I never thought that would be the case with a half-human." He laughed heartlessly and stood up. "I guess that'll be it then. It would be nice for you to stop in occasionally though. We always love having visitors, don't we Felix."

"Yeah." Felix hissed and rose out of his seat.

"Such a pleasure, always a pleasure! See them out will you, Felix, my dear old friend?"

I could feel the heat of my mother's shield around me once more as Aro came to take my hand. He leaned in for a kiss on the cheek and took a sniff on the way back. "Mmm!" He chuckled and held the door open for us.

I felt relief as I saw the grungy walls that surrounded us now. Felix took us a different way before, hallway after hallway. A human wouldn't possibly know that it was any different, considering it looked much the same. Something wasn't right on my mother's face as Felix held open a 4-foot thick door. He motioned for us to go in and before we realized it, the door slammed and locked behind us.

I spun around, and he wasn't there. "What's going on? Where did he go?" I shouted.

We were in a large white room with nothing more than a few couches and a bad paint job. Some of the walls looked punched through and the dry wall was just lying out on the floor.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." She said uneasily.

"What do you mean? Are we waiting for someone else? I don't get it. Mom!" I was shaking her now. But she stood like a beautiful, carved stone.

"I think they might be holding us hostage." She said in the quietest I've heard her speak. Every emotion that her face could hold was flushed away and she slowly walked to the couch and sat down. She planted her face in her palms and started taking in deep breaths.

"Well, Alice, she'll tell them, and they will come looking for us." I tried to reason with her.

"Alice can't see you clearly."

"But she can at least _see_ me, maybe not clearly, but she can see something. She has to know something is wrong."

The phone in her pocket was violently shaking and she pulled it out in a swift movement and flipped it open. "What's going on?" Edward's voice boomed.

"I…don't…know. He was leading us out, and then he was gone." She mumbled.

"I'm coming to get y-" he suddenly broke off and she pulled the phone away to look at it.

"No reception?" She wailed. "I just had full bars!"

"I'm sorry Bella. No unsupervised phone calls, dear." A man shouted from the speakers in the corner. "Now, I'll give you your reception back, and you will call dear Edward and tell them that you are fine. Is that clear? No funny business. We're always watching." The speaker went dead.

I was trembling. Why was this even happening? I searched my mother's panicked face.

She flipped her phone open and pushed the speed dial number.

"Bella. What is going on?"

"Edward, it's okay. Everything is fine. We're just waiting for the city to clear out before we head back." She lied coolly. Her eyes were closed and she was nibbling at her lip.

"Okay then. If there are any problems, call me."

"I love you. I love you. I love you." She repeated quietly.

"More." He answered back.

The phone line went dead, just like the speaker had.

"Why didn't you just tell him, Mom?" I pleaded.

"You heard him. If we don't play the game right…" She trailed off.

Time passed and the room seemed to be getting smaller. My mother sat there like a statue just waiting for our fate to come rushing through the heavy door. I went over our story hundreds of times to find something that might of set them off. I couldn't figure out what we had said wrong. There wasn't a mention of Jacob once, but maybe the wedding ring had been noticed. I knew I should have taken it off, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. It had been easy not to not mention him in our story, just pass by it, but if they were to flat out ask me about the ring I wouldn't be able to sit there and lie. How disrespectful it would be for me to do such a thing. It'd be a slap in his face for him to just pretend like nothing was going on, even if it was to protect him. I know if it were the other way around, I would rather be held at the stake then hear him deny his love for me! It would as if a thousand knives were stabbing me in the back.

I had paced the room for the 74th time before my mother changed positions. She was now staring at her phone. I suspected she was going over phone conversations in her head, wishing she could hear Edwards voice again.

"Alice will see Aro's decision, right?"

"If he's made a decision. I don't know, Renesmee." She exhaled. She looked more tired than I have ever seen her, with stress written lines all over her perfect face. I glided over to her and put my arms around her squared shoulders and squeezed. We had each other. It was going to be okay.

"The thing is, they probably don't even realize what they are doing. They don't know what they have against us, and that our family will come looking for us if we don't show up at the airport in the next 24 hours."

"Maybe it's just what we need to bring the Volturi down." I whispered in her ear. I glanced around noting all the tiny cameras I hadn't bothered to notice before. I'm sure they could read my lips if their microphones couldn't pick up my voice.

I thought about all the ways they would fight them off. We wouldn't be able to leave the humans either. I could see Carlisle's disapproving face and the way he'd hesitate before he would slaughter the innocent. I couldn't imagine the pain he would suffer afterward. He wouldn't let himself get away with such a cruel crime. Maybe, somehow, they would clear the city before the ambush. I don't know they would do that with going unnoticed. It scared me to even picture Jacob in werewolf form with his lips pulled over his teeth, and the anger in his eyes that would drive him to go completely crazy. He would risk his life, and the lives of the pack for me. I think that was the scariest part.

I know they wouldn't be able to do it alone. I don't know how long it would take for them to come up with more help. It might take days, weeks even, and I didn't have the slightest idea of how quickly the Volturi would act on their decision to kill us. They knew Edward wouldn't live without Bella, hell; the whole family couldn't live without her. She was too much of a vital member to just settle with the fact she had been killed. They knew that they'd come for her, and for me, maybe. The horrible monsters might even be looking for a fight. It was definitely something to consider. How could they possibly want to risk their lives for that? Alice, nor Edward, would ever be open to the option of joining by their side. I remember Bella telling me that Alice and Edward had such desirable gifts that they would do anything for. How could they think holding us hostage would be the perfect way to lure them into this horrible lifestyle?

Maybe that was just the thing. They would gladly give their lives up to be sure we could go home safe. Bella wouldn't leave without Edward. Another way to get some more talent added to the disgusting family.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and grabbed my mother's hand and placed my head on her shoulder.

Time wasn't going to go any faster if I kept worrying.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8 – The Room

"Aw, yes." Aro nodded his head as my mother spoke softly about our lives. Not putting into detail about marriage to a werewolf, of course.

We had discussed this, and we would do everything to not involve Jacob or the pack. Just one slip of mentioning them would cause the to go into a frenzy. They, of course, had known about our truce with them but we still didn't want them knowing anything more than we had to share.

She spoke about how happily I grew into what I am now, feeding on animals and being taught at home. I grew up too fast to be in the public eye.

"So, you are seven this year then?" He looked at me.

"Yes."

He looked me up and down and then winked at me. I felt a sudden urge to slap that stupid smile off his face. What a sick freak. I breathed in the cold air and shivered. I needed to get out of here.

"You do smell good though! I never thought that would be the case with a half-human." He laughed heartlessly and stood up. "I guess that'll be it then. It would be nice for you to stop in occasionally though. We always love having visitors, don't we Felix."

"Yeah." Felix hissed and rose out of his seat.

"Such a pleasure, always a pleasure! See them out will you, Felix, my dear old friend?"

I could feel the heat of my mother's shield around me once more as Aro came to take my hand. He leaned in for a kiss on the cheek and took a sniff on the way back. "Mmm!" He chuckled and held the door open for us.

I felt relief as I saw the grungy walls that surrounded us now. Felix took us a different way before, hallway after hallway. A human wouldn't possibly know that it was any different, considering it looked much the same. Something wasn't right on my mother's face as Felix held open a 4-foot thick door. He motioned for us to go in and before we realized it, the door slammed and locked behind us.

I spun around, and he wasn't there. "What's going on? Where did he go?" I shouted.

We were in a large white room with nothing more than a few couches and a bad paint job. Some of the walls looked punched through and the dry wall was just lying out on the floor.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." She said uneasily.

"What do you mean? Are we waiting for someone else? I don't get it. Mom!" I was shaking her now. But she stood like a beautiful, carved stone.

"I think they might be holding us hostage." She said in the quietest I've heard her speak. Every emotion that her face could hold was flushed away and she slowly walked to the couch and sat down. She planted her face in her palms and started taking in deep breaths.

"Well, Alice, she'll tell them, and they will come looking for us." I tried to reason with her.

"Alice can't see you clearly."

"But she can at least _see_ me, maybe not clearly, but she can see something. She has to know something is wrong."

The phone in her pocket was violently shaking and she pulled it out in a swift movement and flipped it open. "What's going on?" Edward's voice boomed.

"I…don't…know. He was leading us out, and then he was gone." She mumbled.

"I'm coming to get y-" he suddenly broke off and she pulled the phone away to look at it.

"No reception?" She wailed. "I just had full bars!"

"I'm sorry Bella. No unsupervised phone calls, dear." A man shouted from the speakers in the corner. "Now, I'll give you your reception back, and you will call dear Edward and tell them that you are fine. Is that clear? No funny business. We're always watching." The speaker went dead.

I was trembling. Why was this even happening? I searched my mother's panicked face.

She flipped her phone open and pushed the speed dial number.

"Bella. What is going on?"

"Edward, it's okay. Everything is fine. We're just waiting for the city to clear out before we head back." She lied coolly. Her eyes were closed and she was nibbling at her lip.

"Okay then. If there are any problems, call me."

"I love you. I love you. I love you." She repeated quietly.

"More." He answered back.

The phone line went dead, just like the speaker had.

"Why didn't you just tell him, Mom?" I pleaded.

"You heard him. If we don't play the game right…" She trailed off.

Time passed and the room seemed to be getting smaller. My mother sat there like a statue just waiting for our fate to come rushing through the heavy door. I went over our story hundreds of times to find something that might of set them off. I couldn't figure out what we had said wrong. There wasn't a mention of Jacob once, but maybe the wedding ring had been noticed. I knew I should have taken it off, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. It had been easy not to not mention him in our story, just pass by it, but if they were to flat out ask me about the ring I wouldn't be able to sit there and lie. How disrespectful it would be for me to do such a thing. It'd be a slap in his face for him to just pretend like nothing was going on, even if it was to protect him. I know if it were the other way around, I would rather be held at the stake then hear him deny his love for me! It would as if a thousand knives were stabbing me in the back.

I had paced the room for the 74th time before my mother changed positions. She was now staring at her phone. I suspected she was going over phone conversations in her head, wishing she could hear Edwards voice again.

"Alice will see Aro's decision, right?"

"If he's made a decision. I don't know, Renesmee." She exhaled. She looked more tired than I have ever seen her, with stress written lines all over her perfect face. I glided over to her and put my arms around her squared shoulders and squeezed. We had each other. It was going to be okay.

"The thing is, they probably don't even realize what they are doing. They don't know what they have against us, and that our family will come looking for us if we don't show up at the airport in the next 24 hours."

"Maybe it's just what we need to bring the Volturi down." I whispered in her ear. I glanced around noting all the tiny cameras I hadn't bothered to notice before. I'm sure they could read my lips if their microphones couldn't pick up my voice.

I thought about all the ways they would fight them off. We wouldn't be able to leave the humans either. I could see Carlisle's disapproving face and the way he'd hesitate before he would slaughter the innocent. I couldn't imagine the pain he would suffer afterward. He wouldn't let himself get away with such a cruel crime. Maybe, somehow, they would clear the city before the ambush. I don't know they would do that with going unnoticed. It scared me to even picture Jacob in werewolf form with his lips pulled over his teeth, and the anger in his eyes that would drive him to go completely crazy. He would risk his life, and the lives of the pack for me. I think that was the scariest part.

I know they wouldn't be able to do it alone. I don't know how long it would take for them to come up with more help. It might take days, weeks even, and I didn't have the slightest idea of how quickly the Volturi would act on their decision to kill us. They knew Edward wouldn't live without Bella, hell; the whole family couldn't live without her. She was too much of a vital member to just settle with the fact she had been killed. They knew that they'd come for her, and for me, maybe. The horrible monsters might even be looking for a fight. It was definitely something to consider. How could they possibly want to risk their lives for that? Alice, nor Edward, would ever be open to the option of joining by their side. I remember Bella telling me that Alice and Edward had such desirable gifts that they would do anything for. How could they think holding us hostage would be the perfect way to lure them into this horrible lifestyle?

Maybe that was just the thing. They would gladly give their lives up to be sure we could go home safe. Bella wouldn't leave without Edward. Another way to get some more talent added to the disgusting family.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and grabbed my mother's hand and placed my head on her shoulder.

Time wasn't going to go any faster if I kept worrying.


End file.
